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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bound — tied together
  4. dip — to sink
  5. key — for a lock
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. bound — certain
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. present — there
  14. plane — a tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bound — obliged
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. squash — to crush
  22. key — in music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com